His remarks were made in response to a journalist’s question after Barr and other senior law enforcement officials announced the findings of a criminal investigation into the shooting at Pensacola Naval Air Station that occurred in December 2019 killing three U.S. sailors.

The journalist asked Barr to explain to those in Congress whether Soleimani’s killing could be considered a “constitutional strike” given that, as the journalist said, “obviously it was an act of war, and they [Congress] were not consulted.”